Rider Updates
Sep 17 2022
I sincerely apologize for the lack of updates this year. To say it's been rough could be a bit of an understatement, but I'm sure I'm not the only one dealing with the strain from the current economical situation.
The last race I've been to was Twisted MX, and I was only able to do so because of the close proximity of home. For most other races, I'm looking at a minimum $300 fuel cost just for the truck. When fuel/ oil for bikes, food, registration fees, etc are added the total weekend bill ends up well north of $500. Unfortunately I've not been able to foot that bill for most of the year. I'm going to try to make it to the last race weekend at Valley Trail Riders, but we shall see.... Hopefully next year comes back around!
Nov 4 2021
Video post:
Portland Trailer Riders, CR500: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRLPsYwh4K8&t=466s
Big Air CR500 Moto 1: https://youtu.be/K4m9II2Ofe8
Big Air CR500 Moto 2: https://youtu.be/ZX4HGtagBYc
Big Air CR125 Moto 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osLgWhNGpcY
Log Road CR125 Holeshot: https://youtu.be/hNnlotfl_e0
Polka Dots CR500 High-side: https://youtu.be/-8spAPgQBxQ
BCMX CR125 Moto 1: https://youtu.be/qYQcXuVCU8A
BCMX CR125 Moto 2 : https://youtu.be/L4S3IaMC9pc
BCMX CR500 Moto 1: https://youtu.be/pG22_njKr54
BCMX CR500 Moto 2: https://youtu.be/suKDqFuYlXU
Twisted MX CR500 GP: https://youtu.be/xOpcVrMQwTI
Twisted MX CR125 GP: https://youtu.be/9753xiqLziI
Annual Polka Dots Mud Race
PD CR500 Moto 1: https://youtu.be/Gol7ll_22uM
PD CR500 Moto 2: https://youtu.be/-Hmn63ExXdk
PD CR125 Moto 1: https://youtu.be/fXcatKGe4hQ
PD CR125 Moto 2: https://youtu.be/TWJJFQc-Xcw
Nov 4 2021
Didn't realize my last update was all the way back in April, my apologies! Between work and life in general, this year absolutely FLEW by. I ended up getting 5th overall (out of 55) in Transition on the 1997 CR125, and 3rd overall in the 125cc sub-class. This was my first year back on the 1986 CR500; I spent most of the race weekends dialing it in and re-learning the bike, so I didn't push too hard on it. I ended up 10th overall (out of 44) in Innovation on it. I don't have much of anything to do to the bikes over the winter. The 125 is absolutely perfect, and the 500 just needs the cheater font forks re--valved to be slightly stiffer. The girlfriend wants to start riding next year, so I'll be putting her on the 1994 YZ125 (2019 125cc state championship winner). It needs a god going through before it hits the track again.
I'll be making another post with all of the race videos, and I'll do a mass photo-dump here in a few weeks when I get them from our club chairman. Thank you to everyone for the continued support throughout the years! It means more than I can put into words!
Apr 12 2021
Part 5 of 5
Videos below of the races at Bulldogs on my new GoPro Hero 9 Black. I finally decided to upgrade from my old Hero 3+ Black and I gotta say, it was WELL worth the money. 2k resolution at 60fps and image stabilization is SWEET!!!! I still have one to edit and upload which I will do.....eventually. Co-owning a small business means there's VERY little free time, unfortunately
Crash on the CR125 during practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aXIciTXRTs
Moto 1 of Transition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GQfTLsvKns&t=92s
Moto 1 of Innovation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm11wSqInek&t=1s
Moto 2 of Innovation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7oP805yooA
Apr 12 2021
(Part 4 of ?)
I got back to the trailer and immediately got to working on the CR500. I decided to lower the needle one position to lean it out a bit in the mid-range. In the middle of doing this I looked over and saw a young kid walking around with a Green Cheek Conure (small parrot) on their head. The kid brought a bird to a place that has literally everything bids hate: loud noises, fast moving things, unfamiliar places, etc. I wish I could say I made that up, but I can't, because it happened and I'm still confused.
Got the CR500 carb buttoned up, rode it around the pits again, noticed it still had a slight stutter, said "Good enough" and went up to the gate. Again I took it slow since I still didn't trust the bike (trepidation on these things saves lives) but I held a decent pace and managed to stay upright. Front suspension felt better but I still need to go stiffer, and the changes to the shock helped, but it also needs to be stiffer. Got 14th out of 24 for 15th overall.
Both bikes need suspension and jetting fine tuning, but thats easy enough. I'll probably put the OEM shock back on the CR500 and send out the Ohlins shock to have some valving done. The CR125 needs new bars, and in one of the crashes I broke off a mounting area of the airbox for the right number plate. Overall it was a fantastic day! It was good to talk to a few of the guys, unfortunately I didn't have time to visit with everyone. Pictures of the day are uploaded, and I'll post videos in s separate thread.
Apr 12 2021
(Part 3 of ?)
Once I finished the moto on the CR500 I got to work working on the bikes. Changed the main jet on the CR125 from a 180 to a 175 (started with a 185), and brought the main on the CR500 down from a 170 to a 162. Made some suspension changes to both bikes, went 2 clicks softer on the compression of the rear shock on the CR125, went 2 clicks stiffer on the forks of the CR500, and maxed out the compression on the rear shock of the CR500. Rode both bikes around the pits to try and test the jetting. The CR125 was good enough, but still had a stutter in the middle of the top end power. The CR500 also still had a stutter in the mid-top, but it wasn't as bad as it was previously.
By this time it was my turn to start my 2nd motos. Moto 2 of transition went very similar to moto 1. Still had the top-end stutter, which was debilitating on a 125 in the DEEP Bulldogs sand. Suspension felt better, but still needs some work. Was riding at a faster pace than moto 1 until I was once again thrown off the bike in a high-side in a turn. Got back going, realized my bars were bent, and cruised my way to the finish. Ended up 18th out of 21 riders for 17th overall.
Apr 12 2021
(Part 2 of ?)
I was races 3 and 5 of 5. Usually we're all jumping for joy when its just us vintage guys racing because it means we're done by noon at the latest. I had the struggle of wrenching on bikes between every moto, so time was not on my side on this day. I also fell once every time I took the CR125 out, which is not ideal.
My first moto was Transition on the CR125. The bike still wasn't completely dialed (and it was the first race of the season), so I didn't go crazy. I rode at a reasonable pace, taking notes of the still ongoing jetting issue and paying close attention to the freshly re-valved suspension. I had a tip over in a turn which lost me a few positions, but I got it running again and was able to keep up my previous pace. Ended up 16th out of 21 riders of Moto 1 of Transition.
Moto 1 of Innovation on the CR500 went smoothly for the most part, aside from discovering that my front tire was flat at the gate and pulling off on lap 1 to have my dad put some air in it real quick,. I haven't ridden the bike in 3 years and it was a completely different engine setup to what I had previously, so I took it kinda slow and used it as a test day. I quickly discovered that there was a bad mid-range stutter before the power exploded. On a smaller bike it's manageable, but on the CR500 it can be a cause of serious injury, The suspension also needed some attention. The 2001 CR125 cheater forks I put on it were a bit soft, and the Ohlins shock was SUPER soft on the compression and too fast on the rebound. Ended up 19th out of 24 riders for Moto 1 of Innovation
Apr 12 2021
(Part 1 of ?)
The first race of the year was a great start! The vintage group had over 75 signups in our classes, our highest number to date in the history of our racing group! Got both bikes put together late last weekend before the races. Got a little bit of seat time on the CR125 at Twisted MX, but not nearly enough to get it dialed in. The CR500 was burning transmission oil (case bolts vibrated loose) at the time, so I rode it maybe 50 yards and put it away. I didn't discover what the issue with it was until the night before the first races at Bulldogs.
It was a very, very busy day for me. Got to the track about 8 o'clock the morning of, signed up, and got to work wrenching on the bikes. Tinkered with the jetting on both bikes before taking them both out for 2 laps of practice. I rode the CR500 first just in case something went wrong and I could back out of the class. Had no serious issues with it, pulled back into the pits, hopped on the CR125 and took it out for a few laps. Lap 1 I lost the front tire on a small right-hand jump and high-sided rather abruptly. Continued on and noticed some issues with the jetting in the mid-top range. Pulled it back in and made some jetting and suspension changes.
Feb 28 2021
Race schedule is updated for this year! There's an additional set of races, but it says "two motos" so I'm not sure if its the normal race format or 2 of our GP (22 minutes plus one lap) races. Got some updates for the biikes: CR500 cylinder and head are finished being powdercoated finally. Suspension for the CR125 should also be done this week. Once those are in I think I'll have everything (minus a carb for the 500) to get the bikes back together!
Feb 20 2021
I've got off-season fever like you would not imagine. For a solid month now I've dreamed of literally nothing but racing. Still waiting on the schedule for this year to be set in stone, but it looks like the first race will be April 10th at Bulldogs MC.
Don't have much in the form of bike updates, still waiting on the suspension to come back for the 125, and the cylinder + head for the 500 to come back from getting PC'd. I have a feeling its gonna be another year where its the day before the race before I get everything back together. I'm planning on racing two vintage classes this year: Transtion (1997 CR125) and Innovation (1986 CR500). I'm thinking I might also try and qualify for Loretta's in the Open Mod C class on the CR500 simply because its a rare bike and people would get a HUGE kick out of seeing it out!
Dec 24 2020
Merry Christmas everyone! Here's a bike update:
Small progress on the 125. Robbed the 38mm PWK A/S from the 500 pile of mess and have it put on the CR125, need to get the proper jets for it and it will be good to go. Top end is down in Ohio with a fellow racer for a little bit of porting and head work. Decided to go with a 90-92 CR125 domed piston setup to help the top end a little bit. Have new bars and cables installed; need to get a new throttle tube, ASV levers, and clamp-on grips. I'm also going to grab an MX12 rear for it to help with the deep sand tracks we have up here in Michigan.
Started bottom end assembly on the CR500. I'm having some issues with closing up the cases, and it looks to revolve around the crank. I hope and pray that it's something easy and not an issue with the crank, the dang thing cost me about a grand. I'm about 60% certain I have everything I need to get it put back together (need to order in another 38mm PWK A/S for it though).
Nov 25 2020
Been a minute since my last update, I apologize! Valley MX was an absolute mudfest, riders in all classes were dropping like flies. All in all it was a good day though, I took 4th for the overall. Our VMX banquet was at risk of being cancelled, but one of our racers very generously offered up his barn to host our chaos. I ended up taking 4th overall in the Transition class and 3rd overall in the 125cc sub-class. I also earned the 'Most Photogenic' award, for which I'd like to thank O'Neal MX, Gaerne, SPY Optic, Factory Backing, Factory Seat, and ASV for their absolutely AWESOME gear!! Dad and I also received the 'Family of the Year' award, which was a heck of a surprise and honor to receive! I uploaded some pictures from the season, and plan on uploading more tomorrow.
On Halloween I was riding at a good friends house (beradmoto on IG), and came up a bit short on one of his jumps, which earned me a quick nap and another broken collarbone. Luckily the collarbone I broke was the left one, which I previously broke in 2016 at Valley MX. I say luckily because I'm right handed and my left shoulder is already a mess, so it's no big deal to add another injury to it. The bike took a solid hit and had a few things on it broken, but luckily they're all easy fixes.
The CR125 is currently torn down, gonna have the suspension sent out to a fellow racer (CMP Suspension) to be more properly set up for me. Also planning on a new carb, top end, and several small upgrades here and there to bring it to where I want it. The CR500 is still in pieces, no idea when that will be back up and running.
Thanks you to everyone for an awesome year, can't wait for what next year brings!
Oct 12 2020
The final GP race at Twisted was an absolute riot! Once again, the #780 Kawi and I were back at it playing cat and mouse. I was able to keep on his tail for the first 5 laps or so until I dabbed my right foot in a turn. A few months ago I hurt the same ankle at the Valley Trail Riders GP and it seem it still hasn't completely healed. The light dab pulled my foot in such a way that it greatly irritated my previous injury, so I had to back off. I couldn't over-jump or land to flat like I was, and even light braking bumps irritated it. I backed off for a good portion of the race because of that. Near the end I was able to close in to roughly a 2 turn gap, but I didn't have enough time to catch him. Ended up 5th for the last GP of the year!
Race video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TugKgmsxJ8g&t=167s
Oct 12 2020
The races at Bulldogs and Twisted MX were great. Bulldogs was a bit chilly in the morning, but warmed up enough to be perfect racing conditions! They made several changes to the track which made it a good bit more technical. That, plus the deep sand, made for a challenging but fun ride! Moto 1 went smoothly, bumped into another rider in turn 2 after the gate drop, but we both stayed upright and kept racing. I ended up 5th overall for the moto, but I was on the rear fender of the 4th place rider (#780 Kawi) for the entire race. Moto 2 went by quick! I managed to beat the #780 in the start and held two turns ahead of him for the entire race! That is, until I found another rider in the last turn before the checkered, causing us to both go down. We were both okay, I misjudged passing on the outside of the turn and didn't realize that the inside and outside lines came together. The mess was completely my fault. Ended up going 5-5 for 5th overall for the day. I have race video of moto 1 (posted below). For some reason my old GoPro Hero 3+ died a few minutes into moto 2, even though it had a fresh battery. I think it's time for an upgrade!
Moto 1 of Bulldogs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjF1lmQ2mkE&t=41s
Sep 21 2020
The race at Portland Trail Riders (PTR) was brutal. 18 motos on the main track, over 400 registered riders for the day! It got rough FAST. The track stayed mostly unchanged since last year, but there were changes. They added a deep sand section a bit before the finish line, which ended up being the bane of everyone's existence (especially the 125cc 74-78 bikes). They also took out the larger tabletop rhythm section that I've been looking forward to all year. Also, all of the fast guys came out of the woodworks for this one.
Moto 1 went pretty smooth, had some issues in some turns (nothing new) but was able to keep my speed up. The breaking and acceleration bumps were manageable and ruts were well worked in. Accidentally found a kicker in the middle line of a step-down in a sweeping left turn. I should've fell, but I somehow didn't.
Moto 2: Oh good God the breaking bumps. My forks were harshly recoiling off of the bump-stops on the entry to almost every corner. Definitely slowed down a bit in this moto due to self-preservation. Ended up going 8-9 for 9th overall. Pictures are uploaded and videos for each moto are down below.
Moto 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO1S8aPRFsg&t=1s
Moto 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOlAja6hJxU&t=374s
Aug 22 2020
Now for the final edition in my three part series of updates: the race today at Battle Creek.
Good God was it a BLAST! It was the most fun I've had on a track all year. For one, it wasn't an annual BC mud-fest. Two, they made some slight changes to the track and it flowed VERY well and was VERY fast. Three, my 6 day of tweaked ankle held up to the abuse with no issues!
I got 6th overall for the day due to my arms giving out on the 4th lap. (Keep in mind, another 25 minute moto that I have not trained for.) I was on the rear fender of the 5th place rider for those laps, and even fudged a pass on him by finding neutral in the middle of a turn. Today was probably the most confident (and subsequently fast) I've been on a track. Everything worked perfect and I didn't have any major issues!
I'll upload a quick clip in the "My Videos" section from today. I'll upload the full race video from today and some pictures from all three races in the next few days
Aug 22 2020
The rescheduled race at Valley Trial Riders (VTR) was a heck of a change of pace! It was more of a woods race then an actual MX race. They do harescrambes, sprint enduros, and hard enduros, so this was also a change of pace for them. They did an awesome job prepping the track (trail?) and making sure we felt welcome there. I was off at a good clip for the first lap, keeping on the heels of the rider ahead of me. In turn 2 of lap 2 I lost the front tire in some slick clay and tweaked my right ankle pretty badly. At first I didn't know if I'd be able to finish the race, but I noticed that I was able to still put weight on my right leg. I proceeded to ride around like ole' Miss Daisy for the rest of the 25 minute moto, doing my best to stay upright and not do more damage to my foot. Video is below; I trimmed it down to just after the crash. It got VERY boring afterwards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVUEeAbWY64&t=285s
Aug 22 2020
This is going to be a multi-part update, I can't sum up three races in one go.
The races at Dutch went pretty well, it was a very VERY hot and long day. The high for the day was roughly 90 degrees, and I was moto 12 out of 16. The races themselves went pretty well! Got passed on the last lap of moto 1 and couldn't quite reel the guy back in. Moto 2 I had a VERY abrupt tip over due to losing the front wheel. Videos are down below
Moto 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WqWGvGsiic&t=2s
Moto 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXvQoZBg_uI&t=3s
Jul 19 2020
Another race come and gone! The conditions at Polka Dots were absolutely perfect! The track was in awesome shape; thankfully the rain didn't show up until the the day after the race! All of the fast guys came out of the woodwork for this one. 13 total signups for the Transition class and I wound up 9th overall. I was on the rear fenders of the 7th and 8th place riders for a few laps, but my forearms gave up the ghost 3 laps in. I'm going to try to spend more time at the tracks getting some practices in before the next race (more importantly the next GP). Pictures will be uploaded here shortly!
Jul 3 2020
Was absolutely AWESOME to see my VMX family again at Log Road! Words cannot express how much I missed them and their excessive shenanigans. The track was in great condition, but it got VERY rough very fast. For moto 1 I was able to claim 2nd place. I could see the race leader about a turn ahead of me and was gaining ground, but I got lapped by the A riders just before the finish. For moto 2 I gated up next to Jeff Stanton. Yes, THAT Jeff Stanton! I talked to him for a short while; he's a very nice and genuine guy. We had the same gate drop and I tried to keep up with him, but he was GONE by turn 2. I ended up taking 3rd for that race. I was on the rear fender of the rider in 2nd (the 672 Honda CR250, whom I battled with every race last year) all race, but couldn't sneak by him. Ended up taking 3rd for the overall!
The next race is at Polka Dots, and it's a GP (22 minutes plus 1 lap). It's been a mud-fest every race there for the past few years, and I really hope that it stays dry this year.
Race video of Moto 1 at Log Road: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0gVLv4LyVU
Jun 15 2020
Went out to Twisted MX again yesterday to get some more seat time in on the CR125. Managed to find a good-used linkage arm from Ebay and got it installed. Also the graphics from Factory Backing arrived and I got those installed as well. They absolutely KILLED it! It's an awesome design and matches perfectly with my O'Neal gearset, Gaerne boots, and SPY goggles. I'm ecstatic to once again be the flying Stars N' Bars! Just waiting on a seat cover to arrive from Factory Seat and then the looks aspect of it will be done.
Got the jetting dialed in perfectly and the suspension is close, but not perfect. Since there's now only 6 races this season I'll probably wait until the end of the year to get it sent out to CMP.
I've uploaded a picture of myself and the bike (now my profile picture) and have footage of one of the practice sessions linked below. Huge thank you to all of the people and companies that continue to support me throughout my VMX journey,it means more than you all know!
Practice video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYm9dGkObZ8&lc=Ugz91-YO14mhqniPcop4AaABAg
Jun 7 2020
Pulled apart the linkage on the CR125 yesterday due to a bit of stiction and found a crack in the left side of the linkage arm. Thank god I found it, otherwise it would've gotten very expensive VERY fast. Found a good used one on EBay that should be here later this week. I also just ordered in graphics from Factory Backing and a new seat cover from Factory Seat. Thanks for the continued support guys, I greatly appreciate it!!
May 31 2020
Went down to Twisted MX today for the first ride of the season. Brought down both the YZ125 and the new CR125. Took the YZ out first just to do a quick shakedown on it. Ended up blowing a radiator hose by lap 2, which sucks but it is what it is. Rode the CR125 for the rest of the day. Words cannot explain just how much better the CR is compared to the YZ. The power and power delivery is perfect (stock engine, Fatty pipe), it turns like a dream, and stayed planted in the sand even with old Kenda Millville tires. I have a fair bit of money wrapped up in the YZ to get it to make more power, but it still can't hold a candle to the CR. At the moment, the only thing the YZ has on the CR is the suspension, but that's only because I had it valved and sprung for my weight and abilities.
So, plans for the CR125: Factory Backing graphics, Factory Seat seat cover, MX12 tires, a non-trail muffler, maybe a 38MM PWK Air Stryker. Definitely need to have the suspension done up as it is way too stiff/ harsh. The engine is perfect; the only thing I may do to it is a set of reeds.
May 27 2020
The shut down here in Michigan has been extended to June 12th, which absolutely SUCKS in regards to racing. Luckily I'm able to work, so that takes a great deal of stress out of the equation. In regards to bikes; the CR500 is still in pieces, the YZ125 is good to go, and it looks like I'll be picking up a 1997 CR125 this weekend!! It belongs to a buddy of mine. I helped him do a full rebuild on it two years ago, and it barely has 5 hours on it. Gonna keep on the YZ until I get the little CR up to snuff, then the YZ will probably end up for sale. It's been a great little bike, but I sure miss being on a Honda!
Apr 17 2020
Well, this virus sure has thrown a wrench into things. Michigan is essentially shut down, and our first two races were cancelled because of it. I've been laid off for a month now, so I've been unable to financially back the CR500 project and get it finished. Hopefully everything opens back up on May 1st!